Sports Medicine

The term "Sports Medicine" is a concept that incorporates a variety of professions that work together as a team to care for athletes and those in the community that are physically active. This team includes:

  • Certified Athletic Trainers
  • Primary Care Physicians
  • Physical and Occupational Therapists
  • Orthopedic Physicians
  • Specialized Physicians (neurologists, general surgeons, etc)
  • Specialized Providers (dentists, chiropractors, optometrists,
     psychologists, etc.)

Each provider adds their expertise to the "umbrella" that covers and protects the athletes of a particular community.

The primary team members involved in the community are the Certified Athletic Trainers. They are the "tip of the spear" when it comes to initial interaction with athletes and their families. The Certified Athletic Trainer holds a bachelors degree (or higher) from accredited programs. In Indiana, they are required to be certified by the Board of Certification and hold a license by the State of Indiana. At Lafayette Rehabilitation Services our athletic trainers provide assistance to the therapy staff, as well as providing athletic training services to area high schools. Some staff members have "dual credentials," meaning that they have degrees and licenses in a therapy profession and athletic training. Lafayette Rehab's Certified Athletic Trainers include:

• John D. Edwards, PT, ATC (Director of Sports Medicine)
• Beth Miotke, PTA, ATC
• Kariel Hoagland, ATC
• Ashley Murphy, ATC

Lafayette Rehabilitation Services' involvement in the Sports Medicine can be traced back to the clinic's beginning in 1992. Many high schools in the Lafayette area were beginning to recognize the need to have a Certified Athletic Trainer on their Athletic Department's staff. For fiscal reasons, smaller school corporations could not add a certified athletic trainer to their staff. However their school's athletes still had a need for these services. Lafayette Rehab recognized this need and at that time began its Outreach Services Program. This program remained with Lafayette Rehab until 2001. At that time Unity Healthcare adopted the Outreach Program so a greater number of schools could be serviced. Currently this program is providing athletic training services (of varying degrees) to the following schools in the Lafayette Area:

  • Lafayette Jefferson High School
  • McCutcheon High School
  • West Lafayette High School
  • Seeger High School
  • Covington High School
  • Attica High School
  • Benton Central High School
  • Tri-County High School
  • Frontier High School
  • North White High School
  • Twin Lakes High School
  • Pioneer High School
  • Caston High School
  • Delphi High School
  • Rossville High School
  • Clinton Prairie High School

Here are some useful links for more information about the profession of Athletic Training:

  • What is a Certified Athletic Trainer?

  • Frequently Asked Questions about Athletic Training